Retirement Income Strategies

The best asset allocation for a retiree is not determined by age alone. It should reflect how much of your spending must come from the portfolio, how soon you will need the money, your ability to tolerate losses, and how much growth you still need for a retirement that...

Will Social Security run out before you retire? You’re not alone if you’ve lost sleep over that question—especially with headlines about trust fund depletion and benefit cuts making the news almost daily. Just recently, one of my clients gasped when she learned her expected benefit could be slashed by...

The 4% rule is a retirement-withdrawal starting point, not a promise. The basic idea is simple: withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement, then adjust that dollar amount for inflation in later years. But your actual spending plan also depends on retirement length, asset allocation,...

A retirement plan distribution is simply money coming out of a retirement account. But the tax result depends on why the money is coming out, which account it comes from, and whether the withdrawal is optional or required. That distinction matters more than memorizing one “best” withdrawal order. In retirement,...

Ever found a surprise boost in your Social Security payment? It happens more often than you think. In fact, unexpected changes in Social Security benefits are common, often tied to adjustments that many retirees overlook. If you got more money from Social Security than you expected, start with one question:...

Have you ever wondered if $4,000 a month is the magic number for a worry-free retirement? Do you think think that you can live on $4,00 a month in retirement? It's a burning question on the minds of many soon-to-be retirees. Imagine a life where you can kick back,...

How long your money will last in retirement depends mostly on how much you withdraw, how long retirement lasts, what your investments earn, inflation, fees, and how much of your spending is covered by Social Security, a pension, or other reliable income. A calculator can estimate the timeline, but...

If you have to take an RMD but do not need the money for living expenses, you have several good options: give eligible IRA dollars directly to charity through a QCD, stay invested by moving securities in kind to a taxable account, reinvest cash in a taxable brokerage account,...

When should you take Social Security: at 62, at full retirement age, or at 70? The frustrating answer is that the best age is not the same for everyone. But the decision is much easier when you stop trying to find one magic break-even age. After nearly three decades in...

"What is a good monthly retirement income" or "How much do I need to retire?" – these are questions, often clouded with uncertainty, that loom large in the minds of many pre-retirees and recent retirees. You've likely arrived here seeking a precise figure, a definitive dollar amount for...